Book Launch & Author's SigningThe Lost Village of Roberts Meadow: Northampton's Forgotten Settlementby John Irving Clapp

Florence author John I. Clapp will launch and read from his latest book, The Lost Village of Roberts Meadow: Northampton’s Forgotten Settlement, on Sunday, November 13 at 2 pm at Historic Northampton. John will reveal the little known history of the small village of Roberts Meadow that was located in the northwest corner of Northampton on Kennedy, Sylvester and Chesterfield roads.

Clapp will read selected parts from his book, discussing some of the early history, industries and characters that inhabited this small community. These individuals include Colonel William Edwards who was the grandson of Jonathan Edwards, the famous and controversial minister of Northampton in the 1730’s and 40’s. Edward’s large tannery helped put Northampton on the map by trading finished leather with Boston. Nathaniel Edwards III, cousin of William, owned Edward’s Tavern, a popular stop-off for the stagecoach traveling the turnpike from Boston to Albany. Nathaniel Edwards III hosted a banquet for General Lafayette during his return tour of the United States in 1825. Another colorful character who frequented this tavern was Captain Elijah Ayers; his documented stunts included riding his horse into the bar as he called for a drink.

Books will be available for purchase and signing, and 25% of proceeds from that day’s sales will be donated to Historic Northampton. The reading is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.

“Of the many aspects of writing local history well, chief among them are accuracy, information not yet known or discovered, and the telling of a good story. John Clapp’s Lost Village of Roberts Meadow fulfills all criteria handily.”- Elise Bernier-Feeley, Forbes Library Special Collections

“John Clapp has thoroughly mined a wide array of local history sources to provide detailed accounts of the lives lived in Roberts Meadow.”- Marie Panik, Historic Northampton

John Clapp's ancestor, Preserved Clapp, came to Northampton from Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1670. John was raised and later worked on his family’s farm, which dates to 1828. At left is a map of the village of Roberts Meadow drawn in 2016 by Clapp. Clapp’s family is the only one that remains in the village, and the Clapp family home is one of only two structures that remain from 1770 – 1900, the time when the village existed. The Lost Village of Roberts Meadow is Clapp's second book. He previouslywrote A Tale of Two Cabins: Comparative Stories of Thoreau's Cabin, Nature, and Life.

Gallery Images (left to right):

Moody's Tavern, circa 1900. Courtesy of Forbes Library.

Site of Roberts Meadow toll, circa 1900. Courtesy of Forbes Library.

Ada Judd in a carriage at the intersection of Montague and Chesterfield Roads, circa 1900. Courtesy of John Clapp.